A Beautiful Friendship
by afanoflife
Summary: Everyone knows Will's thought on first meeting Tug.  What did Tug think of their first meeting though?
1. Chapter 1

**I have no idea where this came from, but the idea wouldn't leave me alone. I hope you all enjoy it.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own _The Ranger's Apprentice Series._**

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><p>It was late in the afternoon. Tug was feeling slightly bored, but his interest was piqued when he heard the sound of a high pitched whistle. Looking over at his neighbor, the horse decided to go and see what the man, Old Bob, wanted from them. Together, they trotted across the yard and went to greet the old man who had whistled for them.<p>

Tug noticed that there were two other men standing in the yard, both dressed in strange outfits. One was much younger than the other. He watched with interest as his larger companion, Abelard, approached the older of the two strangers. He became jealous when he saw Abelard get fed an apple. He wished someone would give him one. With that thought in mind, Tug walked over to Old Bob and gave him a look. He continued to stare at the man until he produced an apple, which Tug gladly ate.

While he was eating, Tug turned one of his eyes on the young stranger. He thought that he had heard Old Bob call him Will. He was not happy when Old Bob decided to give his rope to the young man. As Tug stared at Will, he noticed that he was being given a funny look. For some reason, Tug could tell that the man wasn't impressed by his appearance. Tug knew that he looked a little shaggy and was a little on the small side compared to Abelard, but he didn't think he looked that bad.

Tug was a little surprised when Will dropped his rope. He realized that this could be a chance for some fun. Deciding to have some fun, Tug skipped away into the center of the enclosure. He watched as Will held his hand out and began to speak to him. Tug just neighed to himself. This was going to fun.

As Will reached for his bridle, he wheeled away. He shied first to one side and then to another, managing to stay just outside of the young man's reach. As Will continued to try and get ahold of him, he continuously moved himself closer and closer to the corners of the enclosure. He allowed Will to reach for his bridle and almost grasp it before he once again danced out of the way. It was at that moment that he realized the young man before him was angry. For Tug, that made things even more amusing. This game was getting better and better.

During the middle of their game, the young man suddenly ran away and ducked under the rail of the enclosure. Tug was confused at first, but quickly cast his confusion aside when he saw what Will had gone to get. He had gotten an apple, a bright red, juicy apple.

When the man held the apple out to him, Tug's ears shot up. This boy couldn't be too bad if he was offering him an apple. Tug was beginning to really like Will. Approaching the apple, Tug took it and began to eat it. As soon as he began eating, Will grabbed his bridle. Tug didn't care though. He had a tasty apple to be content with.

Tug could tell that this was the start of a beautiful friendship.

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><p><strong>Please tell me what you thought. I have an idea for another chapter to go along with this one.<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**This takes place right after the second chapter. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own _The Ranger's Apprentice Series._**

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><p>Tug had a hard time getting to sleep that night. His mind was too busy thinking about Will. His attempts at getting to sleep were made even harder when the young man came into the barn that night and lay down on the floor. Tug could tell that Will was having just as much trouble getting to sleep as he was. Perhaps he was thinking along the same lines as Tug. It wasn't until much later that night that Tug finally managed to fall asleep.<p>

The following morning, Tug found himself being led to small enclosure not by Old Bob, but by Will. Tug watched the young man as he talked back and forth with his older companion. Tug was looking forward to today. He was hoping that it would be even more fun than yesterday. To his delight, his wish was granted.

As Will pulled on his halter, Tug refused to move. He braced his forelegs and remained firmly in place. He began to enjoy himself as Will continued to try and get him to move. Silently, Tug laughed to himself. The silly man just didn't understand that he didn't need to be pulled along on a rope in order to get him to move. When the man finally realized this, he allowed himself to be led around by the rope.

He trotted happily behind Will until he realized where they were headed. The man was leading him towards the fence where he could clearly see a saddle waiting. Tug's reins were looped around the fence rail and the saddle was placed on him. He could tell that Will was eager to ride him, but Tug wasn't. He mentally sighed as the young man swung himself into his saddle.

Tug refused to move when Will drummed his feet into his sides. It wasn't that he didn't want to. It was that he had to listen to his training. He had been taught by Old Bob to not let anyone ride him unless they had said a special phrase, and Will had not spoken the special phrase. That left only one course of action for Tug.

Tug allowed a small tremor to go throughout his body. Then, he arched his back and shot straight into the air. All four of his feet left the ground at the same time. He twisted his body to the side and then came down on his front legs while he kicked out with his back legs. Tug felt only a little guilty when he saw Will come flying over his ears while doing a somersault. As Will picked himself up off the ground, Tug chose to stand in place and watch the young man.

Tug could hear Old Bob laughing in the background. Not being able to help himself, Tug allowed an amused whinny to escape his lips. Will's older friend came to stand beside him. The older man handed his bridle back to Will and began to talk to him. Tug chose to ignore most of the conversation. Instead, he chose to think about the barrel of apples on the ground.

He was somewhat surprised when Will leaned towards him and whispered into his ear, "Do you mind?" Tug whinnied in response to the request. Now he and the young man could go for a proper ride and enjoy themselves. This time Tug began to walk when Will asked him to. Tug enjoyed their walk around the paddock, but he wanted to do more than just walk. That's why when Will turned him towards the paddock gate he became extremely excited. When the man lightly tapped his feet against his sides, Tug broke into a gallop.

For Tug, the ride was amazing. The man sitting on his back was a decent rider. Will allowed him to go as fast as he could possibly go. He was even able to leap over a fallen log that was lying in his and Will's path. Needless to say, Tug was a little disappointed when the ride came to an end. His spirits were lifted however when Will produced an apple for him.

That afternoon, Tug was led away from Old Bob's home. Tug found that he didn't really mind. He was looking forward to getting to know the young man seated on his back. He had a feeling that he and Will would be having many adventures together, and Tug was looking forward to that.

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><p><strong>Please tell me what you thought of this second chapter. Also, would you like me to write any more? <strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**Here's another chapter. I hope you all enjoy it.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own _The Ranger's Apprentice Series._**

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><p>Tug was extremely excited. He and Will were on their way to the Harvest Day celebrations. They were currently walking through the crowded fair grounds. Tug had to very careful about where he placed his hooves. He didn't want to accidently step on someone's foot.<p>

When Will had first mentioned the celebrations to him, Tug had been a bit worried that they wouldn't get the chance to go. Will's older friend, who was called Halt, seemed like the type of person who would not let his apprentice have the day off. Of course, Tug would have figured out some way to get them to the fair, but it was easier if they were allowed to go in the first place.

As they moved through the crowd, Tug allowed himself to think about the past three months. They had been wonderful! He and Will had spent plenty of time together, getting to know one another. Tug had formed a special bond with his young rider, and he considered him his closest friend.

Eventually, Tug and Will reached their destination, a meeting place for Will and his former wardmates. Will led him to a shady spot beneath an apple tree. When Tug saw where he had been positioned he became even more excited. There above his head where some very delicious looking apples. He craned his head and looked wistfully at the precious apples. Rather unfortunately, they were out of his reach. Tug gave Will a look, silently asking his friend for some help. He saw Will grin at him before he scrambled up the tree. When he came back down, he, he handed an apple to Tug.

As Tug ate his apple, Will said to him, "That's all you get. You know what Halt says about eating too much." Tug couldn't believe his ears! He shook his head, trying to convey his dislike of that statement to Will. During their three months together, Halt and Tug had disagreed on what was the proper number of apples a horse should be given each day.

Tug and Will settled themselves in the shade, waiting for Will's friends to show up. At some point, the Baron arrived and talked with Will for a while. Tug ignored the conversation, instead concentrating on his plans to secure more apples for himself.

As time went by, he noticed that several of Will's friends had shown up. There were now two girls and one boy sitting by Will. One of the girls was handling something that smelled really good. Tug wished they would share with him, but his wish didn't come true.

He watched as the four began to eat their food. The friends were so engrossed in what they were doing that they failed to notice something that Tug did. Tug watched as another young man came up to Will's group. He didn't like the looks of the boy.

His thoughts on the boy were proven true when the boy started talking to the assembled group. Tug didn't approve of the way the boy was talking to Will and his friends. He watched in anger as the boy even caused one of Will's friends to cry. Tug watched in silence as the boy shoved another boy, who he thought was called George. George's arms windmilled as he fell, accidently striking Tug on his side. Tug reared. He heard Will tell him to be steady, and he immediately obeyed the words.

He watched as the angry boy looked at him. The boy proceeded to make fun of him by calling him all sorts of names. Turning his head to the side, Tug sent Will a look, silently asking him what this unpleasant bully was up to.

Before he could do anything, Tug felt his bridle being untied. Tug laughed to himself. He knew where this was going. He looked at Will again and gave his friend a small nod. When the boy climbed up onto his back, Tug remained unmoving. As he knew he would do, the boy dug his heels into Tug's sides.

Tug bunched his muscles up. He then sprang into the air off all four feet. He twisted his body to the side violently. He came down on his front legs and shot his hindquarters high into the air. Several seconds later, Tug felt the boy leave his body. He watched as the boy flew through the air like a bird and land on the ground. Tug let out a whinny of delight, not feeling bad in the slightest for what he had done to the boy.

However, the trouble didn't end there. The bully picked up a stick off the ground and swung it at Tug. Tug was ready though and stepped to the side out of harm's way. Tug then saw Will leap at the bully and the two began fighting. Tug cheered on his friend, hoping that the bully would be taught a lesson.

The fight came to a sudden end when the Baron and the Battlemaster showed up. They broke up the fight and gave the two men very stern lectures. Tug felt a little put out. Will hadn't done anything in Tug's opinion. It had all been the fault of that other boy. Being a horse, however, meant that his opinion wasn't asked for. At least Will had landed a solid punch on the bully.


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm sorry that I haven't updated this in a long time. School has been keeping me busy. Added to that was the fact that I actually got to read the fourth Eragon book (it was really good). Please tell me what you think of this chapter and I'll try and have the next one up soon!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own _The Ranger's Apprentice Series._**

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><p>Tug was standing in the snow, waiting for Will and Halt to finish up whatever they were doing. In Tug's opinion, they should have been heading straight for their home so that they could enjoy the comfort that warmth brought with it.<p>

Will, Halt, Abelard, and he had been out tracking. Tug supposed that Halt was trying to develop Will's skills. At the moment, Halt was asking Will a question, but Tug could tell that his friend wasn't paying attention. Halt's voice became angry all of sudden and he said, "Could we possibly continue with our tracking, or did you have something more important to do?"

Tug felt Will jump slightly in surprise before having Tug start walking once again. Together, they rode forward to where Halt had been pointing. Just as he knew Will was doing, Tug examined the ground in front of him. In the saddle, Will stood to get a better view at what was on the ground.

Tug knew instantly that the tracks belonged to some rabbits, a creature that he found very annoying. As soon as he thought about the rabbits, he heard Will say to Halt, "Rabbit."

In reply, Halt simply said, "Rabbit?"

Tug sighed to himself. Will needed to pay more attention. It was obvious that that the tracks belonged to more than one rabbit. Tug listened as Will corrected himself. Tug and Abelard continued to carry their riders through the snow, both listening to the conversation their friends were having.

The group had traveled about a kilometer when Will suddenly cried out, "Look!" Tug was surprised by his friend's outburst. Turning his head slightly, Tug saw that Will had discovered another set of tracks, ones that Tug was not happy to see at all. In the snow were the tracks of a wild boar. Tug listened carefully to the sounds going on around him. He was happy that he didn't notice anything unusual going on, meaning that the wild boar was nowhere near them. Looking over at Abelard, he saw that his fellow horse had come to the same conclusion.

He did, however, notice that there was something unusual going on in the undergrowth on the other side of the track. He lifted his ears, attempting to figure out what was there. Glancing over at Will, he saw that his friend had also noticed the strange movement in the undergrowth. He watched as Will drew an arrow and placed it on the string of his bow.

Tug heard Halt speaking to Will in a voice that carried to the undergrowth. Tug had to laugh to himself when an old man came running out of the bushes. He was disheveled and frightened-looking. He let out a sound of amusement when the old man caught his foot and went sprawling on the ground. He stopped his laugh when he saw the look Abelard was giving him. His friend did not approve of him laughing at the old man.

The man, who appeared to be some sort of farmer, approached the group. He held up his hands, showing them that he was unarmed and not dangerous. Tug couldn't wait to hear why the man had been hiding in the undergrowth.


End file.
